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September 2005September 30, 2005 NewsPosted: Friday, September 30, 2005 ¤ British Terrorism in Iraq ¤ Khoisan skeleton ends up in mortuary ¤ Bush And Black People ¤ Blackwater Mercenaries Providing Protection to the Red Cross ¤ Bush is Cooking Up Two New Wars ¤ Luis Posada and US Hypocrisy in War on Terror ¤ "Gringo, Go Home!" ¤ Shooting Palestinians Like Fish in a Barrel ¤ The Swiss cheese Iraqi Constitution ¤ U.S. Paying a Premium to Cover Storm-Damaged Roofs ¤ Chavez: Venezuela Moves Reserves to Europe ¤ Robert Fisk Has Not Been Banned From The U.S. Audio ¤ Attempts to foist a constitution on Iraq look destined to fail ¤ War, The American Tsunami ¤ HUD chief foresees a 'whiter' Big Easy ¤ Israeli troops kill teen ¤ 'No end' to Chechnya rights abuses, says Amnesty ¤ Captain Courageous ¤ Iraqi bombers kill 60 ¤ 'We have been lied to about the war. ¤ Pentagon keeps soldiers waiting for body armor reimbursements ¤ Our Imploding President ¤ Why Iran isn't a global threat ¤ Al-Qaeda cleric exposed as an MI5 double agent ¤ Afghan Absurdities ¤ The coup that wasn't ¤ Gitmo's Hunger Strikers ¤ The undersecretary's dangerous trip ¤ US increasing Iraq-style pressure on Iran over its nuclear program ¤ Brazilian Family: Tapes Prove Police Lied ¤ Man shouts ‘nonsense’ and ‘liar’ at Straw ¤ Insurgents Kill Nine in Baghdad Market ¤ Whither the UN ¤ You could abort every black baby in this country... ¤ Civil Rights Leader Calls for Bennett's Radio Program to Be Pulled ¤ Hey, the system's working! ¤ Deadly car bombing hits Iraq town Flashback ¤ A televisual fairyland ¤ Hundreds of bodies still unidentified ¤ 107 die in the hard exodus from Houston September 29, 2005 News Posted: Thursday, September 29, 2005 ¤ Car bomb onslaught kills at least 60 in Iraq ¤ Iraq is an Occupied Nation in Revolt ¤ Brownie's Comic Opera ¤ Torture and the "Controversial" Arc of Injustice ¤ Media Coverage Disappearing in the Iraq War 'Endgame' ¤ Ideologues vs. Environmentalists ¤ Cuban Terror Case Erodes US Credibility, Critics Say ¤ Venezuela accuses US of 'double standard' on terrorism ¤ What Israeli Disengagement Sounds Like ¤ Quality of Iran's Nuclear Fuel Sheds Doubt on Weapons Capabilities ¤ Sub-$100 laptop design unveiled ¤ 'Bush's presidency is exposed and crumbling' ¤ 'When cronies become crooks' ¤ For Taiwan, American rock, Chinese hard place ¤ The U.S. Has Plans to Invade Iran Before Bush's Term Ends ¤ At least 85 killed in triple car bombing ¤ The Meaning of the IAEA Iran Vote ¤ Mass grave found in Afghanistan ¤ All Gulf oil output shut down ¤ Fears over climate as Arctic ice melts at record level ¤ Conditions Primitive in Texas After Rita ¤ Family of Brazilian killed by police call for Met chief to quit ¤ US troops upload photos of dead Iraqis for porn ¤ Israeli soldiers kill three in West Bank raids ¤ The 'Second' Man ¤ Where have we seen this before? ¤ DHS IG Warned Brown FEMA Responses Were Inadequate ¤ Where has all the money gone? ¤ The Bush Administration: A Culture of Cronyism and Corruption ¤ You exist if the Israeli computer says so ¤ This is an act of censorship ¤ Reuters slams US for hampering journalists in Iraq ¤ Iran's tough stance a hit at home ¤ Venezuela blasts US refusal to extradite Cuban ¤ Envoy denies U.S. paid for Andijan revolt ¤ It's Azerbaijan's turn ¤ Israeli sonic booms terrify Palestinian children ¤ Taliban suicide attack kills nine in Kabul ¤ Three Palestinian fighters shot dead ¤ Bush ally charged in poll fund fraud ¤ Homeless victims of South Africa's great eviction ¤ US and EU-3 make another provocative move against Iran Flashback ¤ IMF/World Bank policies pave way for continuing famine in Africa German court declares Iraq war violated international law Posted: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 Just a few weeks ago, a highly significant judicial decision was handed down by the German Federal Administrative Court but barely mentioned in the German media. With careful reasoning, the judges ruled that the assault launched by the United States and its allies against Iraq was a clear war of aggression that violated international law. Further, they meticulously demonstrated that the German government, in contrast to its public protestations, had assisted in the aggression against Iraq without having any legal right to do so. Although the decision was made three months ago, the judgement and its legal arguments have only just been made available in written form, comprising more than 130 pages. Full Article : trinicenter.com September 28, 2005 News Posted: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 ¤ 'Suicide bomber' strikes in Kabul ¤ A Controlled Press and a Multitude in Mental Darkness ¤ Apartheid Justice in America ¤ How John Roberts Got to the Top ¤ New Orleans Prisoners Abandoned to Floodwaters ¤ A Latin American Voice to Counter Corporate Media ¤ America's Next Election Nightmare ¤ 'Bush wastes roughly $170,000 in jet fuel as he urges nation to conserve' ¤ The high price of hounding Iran ¤ Bomber kills nine in Kabul ¤ Many killed in bombings across Iraq ¤ From a Cave in Afghanistan: It’s the al-Zarqawi Show ¤ Jewish Groups Press for Iran Sanctions ¤ Arab Slavery of Africans ¤ Rising Tide of Xenophobia: Australia’s Shallow Multiculturalism ¤ Bush conspiracy to attack and occupy Iraq ¤ American foreign policy - mass murder in Iraq ¤ The coup that wasn't ¤ The Myth of Northern Innocence ¤ Were British Special Forces Soldiers Planting Bombs in Basra? ¤ Iran and the Invention of a Nuclear Crisis ¤ Iran: Watch our for the emerging rhetoric of pre-war fabrications ¤ Suicide Attack Kills Six in Iraq ¤ German court declares Iraq war violated international law ¤ George and the dragons ¤ Israel Unleashes Barrage in Gaza City ¤ Israel to continue targeted killings in Gaza ¤ Israel applies to UN Security Council ¤ Henry Kissinger's 1974 Plan for Food Control Genocide ¤ US backs ‘bold’ Musharraf agenda ¤ Whites fear land grab as black heirs win claim to family farm ¤ Iraq: Female suicide bomber kills seven ¤ China condemns US ¤ US soldier admits Afghan abuse Bush conspiracy to attack and occupy Iraq Posted: Tuesday, September 27, 2005 Democratic Congressman Says Conspiracy Trial Ironic Sees Bush conspiracy to attack and occupy Iraq New York congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) delivered a fiery critique of the Bush Administration's drive to war in Iraq, labeling the push part of a "conspiracy" to deceive Congress and occupy the country. Full Article : commondreams.org September 27, 2005 News Posted: Tuesday, September 27, 2005 ¤ Baghdad's Sadr City erupts anew ¤ 22 bodies discovered in Iraq ¤ Bomber targets Iraq police recruits, 10 killed in Baquba ¤ Torturous Silence on Torture ¤ National Guard Sent to Protect Oil, Not People ¤ The Speech Everyone Is Talking About ¤ A Hurricane Strips Off Bush's Teflon ¤ George Bush in Hell ¤ Torture is US Policy, Not Aberration ¤ When the Truth Comes to Town ¤ When We Were Psychos ¤ Brown Still On FEMA Payroll ¤ Israel Conducts 4th Day of Airstrikes in Gaza ¤ Iran president charges 'nuclear discrimination' ¤ 'The impending cakewalk in Iran' ¤ The KatrinaRita ¤ Bush's Twin Masters ¤ blackmailing India ¤ Pullout diverted attention from W. Bank expansion ¤ If it's freedom and success 'they' hate, why aren't 'they' attacking Norway? ¤ The Right to Armed Struggle ¤ US soldier guilty of abusing Iraqi prisoners ¤ Getty Museum knowingly bought stolen archeological treasures ¤ It's better to cry wolf now... ¤ Baghdad in the dark as power cuts continue to blight the city ¤ We can do this the nice way ... or the nasty way ¤ Now for Blair's speech ¤ Baghdad's Sadr City erupts anew ¤ Case Closed, Condi ¤ Gunmen dressed as policemen kill 5 in Iraq ¤ Fasting at Guantanamo ¤ Taliban Says It Brought Down U.S. Helicopter ¤ Ready or not, Haiti preps for vote ¤ It’s Happening Now ¤ Political Marketing 101 ¤ Wrong way in Iraq ¤ Israel strikes Gaza again ¤ Four killed in Afghanistan bomb blast ¤ Al Qaida second-in-command killed ¥ Just how many second in command does Al Qaida have? September 26, 2005 News Posted: Monday, September 26, 2005 ¤ Lessons From a Fallen Empire ¤ The Ghosts of New Orleans ¤ Last Weekend Karl Rove Said I Was a Clown ¤ Make Levees, Not War ¤ The FBI Murders a Legend ¤ This Drink's on Us, George ¤ America is Running Out of Time ¤ Police blunder after 9/11 'destroyed pilot's career' ¤ Osama Who? Media Begins the “Protect bin Laden Campaign!” ¤ All the King's Whores and all the King's (con) Men. ¤ An interview with the guy who told Dick Cheney to go ... ¤ 'Spinning' on the precipice ¤ Israel strikes Gaza City, Khan Yunus ¤ What Basra has, many covet ¤ Sheehan Arrested During Anti-War Protest ¤ Which Gulf is Bigger? ¤ The true story of how multinational drug companies took liberties with African lives ¤ A Bolivarian socialist at the United Nations ¤ In 1 year, Halliburton's stock doubles as troop deaths double ¤ Suicide car bomber kills six in Iraq ¤ Veterans, Grieving Families Give Somber Mood to Iraq War Protest ¤ Doctors fleeing Iraq in thousands ¤ Women's rights activists dispute Iraq's title of region's most progressive state ¤ 'Terrorist Administration' ¤ Shia in Baghdad join attack on US ¤ Iran rejects UN atomic resolution as 'illogical' ¤ No Iraqis Left Me on a Roof to Die ¤ New inquiry may expose events that led to Pat Tillman’s death ¤ How Many More Mike Browns Are Out There? ¤ Bush mulls lead role for military in disasters ¤ Stormy Spins in a Vortex ¤ Anti-Bush, And Mincing No Words ¤ Woman held in probe into Tube shooting leak ¤ In suffocating embraces of empire ¤ Japanese encephalitis death toll reaches 1,166 ¤ How I fled Rita. ¤ 'How can you establish a free media in such fear and anarchy?' ¤ Rita leaves US with $6bn clean-up bill and fuel crisis ¤ Hurricane Exposes Evacuation Problems September 25, 2005 News Posted: Sunday, September 25, 2005 ¤ Britain to pull troops from Iraq ¤ Suicide car bomb kills 13 elite Iraqi commandos ¤ So what were two undercover British soldiers up to in Basra? ¤ Bush plea for cash to rebuild Iraq raises $600 ¤ North Korea denounces U.S. nuclear policy ¤ 'You can't wash your hands when they're covered in blood' ¤ Robert Fisk on finding Osama ¤ Chavez nails US again ¤ The Red Cross Money Pit ¤ US Has Sanctioned Torture for Far Too Long ¤ Antiwar Protests Commence in Washington ¤ Three dead in grenade blast in south Philippines ¤ The Mother of All Anti-War Rallies ¤ Israeli air strike kills Jihad leader ¤ Israeli army given free rein in Gaza ¤ Racism you say? That's preposterous! ¤ IDF Continues Gaza Slaughter ¤ Diverse Anti-war Protests Largest in DC Since Vietnam ¤ US forced to import bullets from Israel ¤ Hurricanes aside, Bush our biggest disaster US Army Whistleblowers Describe Routine, Severe Abuse Posted: Saturday, September 24, 2005 WASHINGTON - As a military jury in Texas considers the fate of Lynndie England, the low-ranking reservist pictured in the notorious photos of the abuse of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in late 2003, two sergeants and a captain in one of the U.S. Army's most decorated combat units have come forward with accounts of routine, systematic and often severe beatings committed against detainees at a base near Fallujah from 2003 through 2004. Full Article : commondreams.org September 24, 2005 News Posted: Saturday, September 24, 2005 ¤ Soldier's chilling testimony fuels demonstrations against Iraq war ¤ Disaster strikes again in New Orleans ¤ Hurricane Rita slams into US coast ¤ Patched levees breached ¤ Four reported dead in Gaza air strike ¤ Anti-War Protesters March in Washington ¤ America's Inheritance in the Caucasus ¤ Such a Blot ¤ U.S. soldier shoots 56-year-old Iraqi woman to death in her home ¤ And We Call Them "Terrorists"? ¤ South Africa orders first farm seizure ¤ U.S. to Extend Soldiers' Tours in Iraq ¤ Polluting Palestine ¤ How Corporations Cashed in on Katrina ¤ Hugo Chavez's Mission ¤ America's Shame ¤ Nature and Man Conspire to Expose the Lies of the Powerful ¤ They Fix Oil Prices, Don't They? ¤ Haiti: the Time for Action is Now ¤ Six killed in Baghdad bus bombing ¤ The unwelcome liberators ¤ British soldiers in terrorist attack ¤ Engineers Try to Stop New Orleans Flooding ¤ Can’t rescue competence from this gang ¤ 'Les bon temps (finissent)' ¤ Iraqi judge: Re-arrest British soldiers September 23, 2005 News Posted: Friday, September 23, 2005 ¤ Chavez staying true to pledge for U.S. poor ¤ Apartheid America ¤ Rita's rains breach 2 New Orleans levees ¤ Dangers of a Drunk Dubya ¤ The Logic of Colonial Rule ¤ Purging the Poor ¤ Workers Get Hit Twice ¤ Oil pipelines on fire in northern Iraq after attack ¤ The Porn of War ¤ At least 15 killed in Hamas rally explosion in Gaza ¤ US soldiers kill deputy mayor, two police officers in northern Iraq ¤ The war in Iraq was based on a lie ¤ Facing Opposition, U.S. and E.U. Backpedal on Iran Action ¤ Democratic disillusionment ¤ Sorry, Mr President, homilies won't stop the hurricanes ¤ New Orleans feels first effects of Rita ¤ This is global warming, says environmental chief ¤ Global Eye: Available Light ¤ Civilians killed in Baghdad bombing ¤ Iran knocks Europe out - again ¤ Southern discomfort ¤ Best-Laid Plans Weren't Enough in Texas ¤ Screw U(SA) ¤ Join The Marines - The Few, The Proud, The Psychotic ¤ British prison break and blown covert operation ¤ British soldiers in terrorist attack September 22, 2005 News Posted: Thursday, September 22, 2005 ¤ Israeli firm tossed out of UK fair ¤ Carter says Gore won 2000 election ¤ The mob ¤ The Pentagon’s silence over Guantanamo hunger strike ¤ Worsening Humanitarian Situation in Chechnya ¤ Big and Easy Iraqi-Style Contracts Flood New Orleans ¤ More Blood, Less Oil ¤ The Next Fake Threat ¤ N. Korea Accuses U.S. of Plotting Attack ¤ Bush's words on Iraq echo LBJ in 1967 ¤ Haitian children sold as cheap labourers ¤ Texans Fleeing Rita Stalled by Traffic ¤ British soldiers in terrorist attack? What is going on in Iraq? ¤ America's Syria problem ¤ USA continues to lose new and staunch allies in the world ¤ Iraqis: "This Government has No Authority" ¤ The President Speaks Truth ¤ It is a Racist, Religionist world ¤ Let Them Eat Cake ¤ Iraq War Expenses Raise Questions in U.S. ¤ British Agents in Local Drag Saved by Cavalry ¤ Robert Fisk refused entry into U.S ¤ US working to boost sea forces in oil-rich Caspian ¤ Study finds racial imbalance on death row ¤ Hurricane aid used 'to test out rightwing social policies' The Cold Water North Korea Never Threw Posted: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 But what's being touted as an agreement is simply the principal parties committing to paper what they've insisted upon all along: in north Korea's case, that it's willing to give up its nuclear weapons program, if the US stops rattling its nuclear saber, and normalizes relations; and in the US's case, that it has no intention of attacking, and that north Korea must junk it nuclear weapons, rejoin the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), and readmit international inspectors. The sticking point is "sequencing" -- will north Korea give up its nuclear weapons program first, or only after the US normalizes relations and provides a surrogate for the energy generated by the nuclear reactor that will have to be shut down as part of the deal? The US wants north Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program now, in return for the US pledging to talk about normalized relations and energy assistance at some later date, while north Korea says it can't dismantle its nuclear weapons without relations being normalized and the energy lost by shutting down its nuclear facilities replaced. Yet, when Pyongyang said the US shouldn't dream of the Yongbyon reactor being shut down before a new (proliferation-resistant) light-water reactor had been built, newspapers said the deal was being scuttled by a duplicitous north Korea, though north Korea was only repeating what has been a long-held position. Full Article : trinicenter.com September 21, 2005 News Posted: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 ¤ Russia opposes EU move against Iran ¤ Iran calls on UN to probe how Israel acquired nuclear weapons ¤ Tehran six months off nuclear arms ability: Israel Flashback ¤ The Real Reasons Why Iran is the Next Target Flashback ¤ The War To Save The U.S. Dollar ¤ Iraq's Missing Sea of Oil ¤ The Cold Water North Korea Never Threw ¤ No Exit; Descending into hell with George Bush ¤ Fake Terrorism Is a Coalition's Best Friend ¤ Caught in a dilemma of our own making ¤ A million flee wrath of Rita ¤ US braces for Hurricane Rita ¤ Iraq myths are cruelly exposed ¤ Car bomb attack kills 16 in Basra ¤ Moscow Affirms Its Nuclear Partnership With Iran ¤ Iraqis in Basra Slam 'British Aggression' ¤ The failed mission to capture Iraqi oil ¤ 15¢ per gallon ¤ Ignoring the Real Obscenities ¤ Rita could equal $5 gas ¤ Who is More Pathetic: The Media or the Democrats? ¤ To Say We Must Stay in Iraq to Save it From Chaos is a Lie ¤ Blood for No Oil ¤ Iraq is Vietnam Without Honesty ¤ The Problem in Iraq is the US ¤ Iraq: Is there a way out of this mess? ¤ Iraqis rally in Basra to denounce British prison raid ¤ Blackwater Down ¤ W Marks the Spot ¤ Bush's Katrina Bling Bling ¤ Double Standards in Iraq ¤ Chavez takes world stage by berating U.S. at U.N. summit ¤ 12 deaths put U.S. toll in Iraq at over 1,900 ¤ 1m face evacuation ahead of Hurricane Rita ¤ Katrina's Death Toll Climbs Past 1,000 September 20, 2005 News Posted: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 ¤ At least 10 killed in Iraq by twin suicide car bombs ¤ Weapons of Mass Murder ¤ Civilians reported killed by military intervention in Iraq ¤ 9 American soldiers, security agents killed in Iraq attacks ¤ The Tragedy of a Complicit Media ¤ Will Neocon Fanaticism Destroy America? ¤ New Orleans battens down for second storm ¤ Troop Deaths Hit 1,904 in Iraq ¤ US-Pakistan: An elaborate pas de deux ¤ Peace Activist Sheehan Hurt at Rally ¤ Bush's 'bullhorn moment' just bull ¤ 'Believe Bush again and end up like Charlie Brown' ¤ Bush's Raw Deal ¤ Mr. Bush's Legacy: More Than Duct Tape Needed ¤ 'Bush goes on location one more time' ¤ Iran threatens to quit NPT ¤ Mugabe accuses US of racism ¤ Of course it's oil! ¤ Iraqi Anger Exploded in the Face of the British Occupiers ¤ Democratic Hallucinations in Afghanistan and Iraq ¤ The occupation forces are the real perpetrators of bomb attacks in Iraq? ¤ UK Soldiers Caught Dressed As Iraqis Killing Local Police ¤ Were the British Soldiers Engaged in Counter-Insurgency Operation in Basra? ¤ Who's Blowing Up Iraq? New evidence that bombs are being planted by British ¤ A sign against US President George W. Bush ¤ Carry on Killing ¤ President Chavez Offers Cheap Oil to the Poor...of the US President Hugo Chavez speaks Posted: Monday, September 19, 2005 Hugo Chavez: "If the Imperialist Government of the White House Dares to Invade Venezuela, the War of 100 Years Will be Unleashed in South America" Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez speaks on Democracy Now! in his first interview in the United States. Chavez discusses the war in Iraq, President Bush, the role of the media in the aborted coup against him and Venezuela's request for the extradition of Cuban anti-Castro militant Luis Posada Carriles. [includes rush transcript] Full Article : trinicenter.com President Hugo Chavez Speaks - Part 1I Racism is very characteristic of imperialism. Racism is very characteristic of capitalism. Katrina is – indeed, has a lot to do with racism - no doubt about it. Hate against me has a lot to do with racism. Full Article : trinicenter.com North Korea Demands Nuke Reactor From U.S. Posted: Monday, September 19, 2005 North Korea Says It Won't Dismantle Nuclear Weapons Program Until It Gets Atomic Energy Reactor North Korea said Tuesday it would not dismantle its nuclear weapons program until the United States first provides an atomic energy reactor, casting doubt on its commitment to a breakthrough agreement reached at international arms talks. Full Article : abcnews.go.com September 19, 2005 News Posted: Monday, September 19, 2005 ¤ Iraqi MP assassinated, 24 bodies found in Tigris ¤ UN face for the 21st Century ¤ Wake Up ¤ Democracy Interviews President Hugo Chavez ¤ Tons of British aid donated to help Hurricane Katrina victims to be BURNED ¤ New Orleans' Health System Faces Crisis ¤ The Secret History of How the US Misjudged the Enemy in Iraq ¤ Katrina Aid from Cuba? No Thanks, Says US ¤ Even our closest allies despise us' ¤ 'George is worst natural disaster to hit country ¤ Media moguls, not looters, killed Katrina's truth tellers ¤ The Bush "Universal Solution" to Disasters is Itself a Long-term Disaster ¤ Enough Already With The Neocon Voodoo Experiments In Iraq ¤ UK may increase Iraq deployment ¤ 4,755 deceased people cast ballots in November elections ¤ Worm creates fake Google site ¤ What has happened to Iraq's missing $1bn? ¤ Bush Katrina Ratings Fall After Speech ¤ Media compliment emperor's new clothes ¤ Travels in Palestine, Part One ¤ Khalilzad Threatens Syria ¤ Blunders and Opportunities ¤ The Poor Shamed Us Into Seeing Them ¤ Bush Administration Paradox Explained ¤ Rice too busy for women foreign ministers' dinner ¤ New York Times Iraq reporter found dead in Basra ¤ Please stop fetishising integration ¤ At least 10 killed in Iraq by twin suicide car bombs September 18, 2005 News Posted: Sunday, September 18, 2005 ¤ Summit failure blamed on US ¤ Blair tells Murdoch: 'gloating' BBC is 'full of hatred for America' ¤ Defiant Iran tells UN: mind your own nuclear business ¤ THE FEMA INVESTIGATION ¤ Putin Won't Support U.N. Action Against Iran ¤ LIAR, LIAR ¤ What does it take to be vice-president of the United States? ¤ Blame God, not me ¤ Frustrated U.S. Finds Few Willing to Join Anti-Chavez Coalition ¤ Iran calls on UN to probe how Israel acquired nuclear weapons ¤ New twist on Iraq aid: U.S. seeks donations ¤ County bans parking on roads near President Bush’s ranch ¤ 'Message: I care about the black folks' ¤ We have long ago lost our moral compass ¤ Hurricane Hugo at the U.N. ¤ This is a mess of our own making ¤ Giving Democracy a Bad Name ¤ Higher-than-expected death toll in New Orleans ¤ Pillaging, looting - these guys are pros ¤ Electricity Turned On In New Orleans Neighborhood For Bush ¤ “Decontaminating Themselves As If They Were Operating In A Toxic Environment”… President Chavez's Speech to the United Nations Posted: Sunday, September 18, 2005 09/16/05 "vheadline.com" By President Hugo Chavez Your Excellencies, friends, good afternoon: The original purpose of this meeting has been completely distorted. The imposed center of debate has been a so-called reform process that overshadows the most urgent issues, what the peoples of the world claim with urgency: the adoption of measures that deal with the real problems that block and sabotage the efforts made by our countries for real development and life. Five years after the Millennium Summit, the harsh reality is that the great majority of estimated goals- which were very modest indeed- will not be met. We pretended reducing by half the 842 million hungry people by the year 2015. At the current rate that goal will be achieved by the year 2215. Who in this audience will be there to celebrate it? That is only if the human race is able to survive the destruction that threats our natural environment. We had claimed the aspiration of achieving universal primary education by the year 2015. At the current rate that goal will be reached after the year 2100. Let us prepare, then, to celebrate it. Friends of the world, this takes us to a sad conclusion: The United Nations has exhausted its model, and it is not all about reform. The XXI century claims deep changes that will only be possible if a new organization is founded. This UN does not work. We have to say it. It is the truth. These transformations – the ones Venezuela is referring to- have, according to us, two phases: The immediate phase and the aspiration phase, a utopia. The first is framed by the agreements that were signed in the old system. We do not run away from them. We even bring concrete proposals in that model for the short term. But the dream of an ever-lasting world peace, the dream of a world not ashamed by hunger, disease, illiteracy, extreme necessity, needs-apart from roots- to spread its wings to fly. We need to spread our wings and fly. We are aware of a frightening neoliberal globalization, but there is also the reality of an interconnected world that we have to face not as a problem but as a challenge. We could, on the basis of national realities, exchange knowledge, integrate markets, interconnect, but at the same time we must understand that there are problems that do not have a national solution: radioactive clouds, world oil prices, diseases, warming of the planet or the hole in the ozone layer. These are not domestic problems. As we stride toward a new United Nations model that includes all of us when they talk about the people, we are bringing four indispensable and urgent reform proposals to this Assembly: The first; the expansion of the Security Council in its permanent categories as well as the non permanent categories, thus allowing new developed and developing countries as new permanent and non permanent categories. The second; we need to assure the necessary improvement of the work methodology in order to increase transparency, not to diminish it. The third; we need to immediately suppress- we have said this repeatedly in Venezuela for the past six years- the veto in the decisions taken by the Security Council, that elitist trace is incompatible with democracy, incompatible with the principles of equality and democracy. And the fourth; we need to strengthen the role of the Secretary General; his/her political functions regarding preventive diplomacy, that role must be consolidated. The seriousness of all problems calls for deep transformations. Mere reforms are not enough to recover that "we" all the peoples of the world are waiting for. More than just reforms we in Venezuela call for the foundation of a new United Nations, or as the teacher of Simón Bolívar, Simón Rodríguez said: "Either we invent or we err." At the Porto Alegre World Social Forum last January different personalities asked for the United Nations to move outside the United States if the repeated violations to international rule of law continue. Today we know that there were never any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The people of the United States have always been very rigorous in demanding the truth to their leaders; the people of the world demand the same thing. There were never any weapons of mass destruction; however, Iraq was bombed, occupied and it is still occupied. All this happened over the United Nations. That is why we propose this Assembly that the United Nations should leave a country that does not respect the resolutions taken by this same Assembly. Some proposals have pointed out to Jerusalem as an international city as an alternative. The proposal is generous enough to propose an answer to the current conflict affecting Palestine. Nonetheless, it may have some characteristics that could make it very difficult to become a reality. That is why we are bringing a proposal made by Simón Bolívar, the great Liberator of the South, in 1815. Bolívar proposed then the creation of an international city that would host the idea of unity. We believe it is time to think about the creation of an international city with its own sovereignty, with its own strength and morality to represent all nations of the world. Such international city has to balance five centuries of unbalance. The headquarters of the United Nations must be in the South. Ladies and gentlemen, we are facing an unprecedented energy crisis in which an unstoppable increase of energy is perilously reaching record highs, as well as the incapacity of increase oil supply and the perspective of a decline in the proven reserves of fuel worldwide. Oil is starting to become exhausted. For the year 2020 the daily demand for oil will be 120 million barrels. Such demand, even without counting future increments- would consume in 20 years what humanity has used up to now. This means that more carbon dioxide will inevitably be increased, thus warming our planet even more. Hurricane Katrina has been a painful example of the cost of ignoring such realities. The warming of the oceans is the fundamental factor behind the demolishing increase in the strength of the hurricanes we have witnessed in the last years. Let this occasion be an outlet to send our deepest condolences to the people of the United States. Their people are brothers and sisters of all of us in the Americas and the rest of the world. It is unpractical and unethical to sacrifice the human race by appealing in an insane manner the validity of a socioeconomic model that has a galloping destructive capacity. It would be suicidal to spread it and impose it as an infallible remedy for the evils which are caused precisely by them. Not too long ago the President of the United States went to an Organization of American States' meeting to propose Latin America and the Caribbean to increase market-oriented policies, open market policies-that is neoliberalism- when it is precisely the fundamental cause of the great evils and the great tragedies currently suffered by our people. : The neoliberal capitalism, the Washington Consensus. All this has generated is a high degree of misery, inequality and infinite tragedy for all the peoples on his continent. What we need now more than ever Mr. President is a new international order. Let us recall the United Nations General assembly in its sixth extraordinary session period in 1974, 31 years ago, where a new International Economic Order action plan was adopted, as well as the States Economic Rights and Duties Charter by an overwhelming majority, 120 votes for the motion, 6 against and 10 abstentions. This was the period when voting was possible at the United Nations. Now it is impossible to vote. Now they approve documents such as this one which I denounce on behalf of Venezuela as null, void and illegitimate. This document was approved violating the current laws of the United Nations. This document is invalid! This document should be discussed; the Venezuelan government will make it public. We cannot accept an open and shameless dictatorship in the United Nations. These matters should be discussed and that is why I petition my colleagues, heads of states and heads of governments, to discuss it. I just came from a meeting with President Néstor Kirchner and well, I was pulling this document out; this document was handed out five minutes before- and only in English- to our delegation. This document was approved by a dictatorial hammer which I am here denouncing as illegal, null, void and illegitimate. Hear this, Mr. President: if we accept this, we are indeed lost. Let us turn off the lights, close all doors and windows! That would be unbelievable: us accepting a dictatorship here in this hall. Now more than ever- we were saying- we need to retake ideas that were left on the road such as the proposal approved at this Assembly in 1974 regarding a New Economic International Order. Article 2 of that text confirms the right of states to nationalizing the property and natural resources that belonged to foreign investors. It also proposed to create cartels of raw material producers. In the Resolution 3021, May, 1974, the Assembly expressed its will to work with utmost urgency in the creation of a New Economic International Order based on- listen carefully, please- "the equity, sovereign equality, interdependence, common interest and cooperation among all states regardless of their economic and social systems, correcting the inequalities and repairing the injustices among developed and developing countries, thus assuring present and future generations, peace, justice and a social and economic development that grows at a sustainable rate." The main goal of the New Economic International Order was to modify the old economic order conceived at Breton Woods. We the people now claim- this is the case of Venezuela- a new international economic order. But it is also urgent a new international political order. Let us not permit that a few countries try to reinterpret the principles of International Law in order to impose new doctrines such as "pre-emptive warfare." Oh do they threaten us with that pre-emptive war! And what about the "Responsibility to Protect" doctrine? We need to ask ourselves. Who is going to protect us? How are they going to protect us? I believe one of the countries that require protection is precisely the United States. That was shown painfully with the tragedy caused by Hurricane Katrina; they do not have a government that protects them from the announced nature disasters, if we are going to talk about protecting each other; these are very dangerous concepts that shape imperialism, interventionism as they try to legalize the violation of the national sovereignty. The full respect towards the principles of International Law and the United Nations Charter must be, Mr. President, the keystone for international relations in today's world and the base for the new order we are currently proposing. It is urgent to fight, in an efficient manner, international terrorism. Nonetheless, we must not use it as an excuse to launch unjustified military aggressions which violate international law. Such has been the doctrine following September 11. Only a true and close cooperation and the end of the double discourse that some countries of the North apply regarding terrorism, could end this terrible calamity. In just seven years of Bolivarian Revolution, the people of Venezuela can claim important social and economic advances. One million four hundred and six thousand Venezuelans learned to read and write. We are 25 million total. And the country will-in a few days- be declared illiteracy-free territory. And three million Venezuelans, who had always been excluded because of poverty, are now part of primary, secondary and higher studies. Seventeen million Venezuelans-almost 70% of the population- are receiving, and for the first time, universal healthcare, including the medicine, and in a few years, all Venezuelans will have free access to an excellent healthcare service. More that a million seven hundred tons of food are channeled to over 12 million people at subsidized prices, almost half the population. One million gets them completely free, as they are in a transition period. More than 700 thousand new jobs have been created, thus reducing unemployment by 9 points. All of this amid internal and external aggressions, including a coup d'etat and an oil industry shutdown organized by Washington. Regardless of the conspiracies, the lies spread by powerful media outlets, and the permanent threat of the empire and its allies, they even call for the assassination of a president. The only country where a person is able to call for the assassination of a head of state is the United States. Such was the case of a Reverend called Pat Robertson, very close to the White House: He called for my assassination and he is a free person. That is international terrorism! We will fight for Venezuela, for Latin American integration and the world. We reaffirm our infinite faith in humankind. We are thirsty for peace and justice in order to survive as species. Simón Bolívar, founding father of our country and guide of our revolution swore to never allow his hands to be idle or his soul to rest until he had broken the shackles which bound us to the empire. Now is the time to not allow our hands to be idle or our souls to rest until we save humanity. Translated by Néstor Sánchez Reprinted from: www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=46000 President Chavez's Speech to the United Nations Posted: Saturday, September 17, 2005 09/16/05 "vheadline.com" By President Hugo Chavez Your Excellencies, friends, good afternoon: The original purpose of this meeting has been completely distorted. The imposed center of debate has been a so-called reform process that overshadows the most urgent issues, what the peoples of the world claim with urgency: the adoption of measures that deal with the real problems that block and sabotage the efforts made by our countries for real development and life. Five years after the Millennium Summit, the harsh reality is that the great majority of estimated goals- which were very modest indeed- will not be met. We pretended reducing by half the 842 million hungry people by the year 2015. At the current rate that goal will be achieved by the year 2215. Who in this audience will be there to celebrate it? That is only if the human race is able to survive the destruction that threats our natural environment. We had claimed the aspiration of achieving universal primary education by the year 2015. At the current rate that goal will be reached after the year 2100. Let us prepare, then, to celebrate it. Friends of the world, this takes us to a sad conclusion: The United Nations has exhausted its model, and it is not all about reform. The XXI century claims deep changes that will only be possible if a new organization is founded. This UN does not work. We have to say it. It is the truth. These transformations – the ones Venezuela is referring to- have, according to us, two phases: The immediate phase and the aspiration phase, a utopia. The first is framed by the agreements that were signed in the old system. We do not run away from them. We even bring concrete proposals in that model for the short term. But the dream of an ever-lasting world peace, the dream of a world not ashamed by hunger, disease, illiteracy, extreme necessity, needs-apart from roots- to spread its wings to fly. We need to spread our wings and fly. We are aware of a frightening neoliberal globalization, but there is also the reality of an interconnected world that we have to face not as a problem but as a challenge. We could, on the basis of national realities, exchange knowledge, integrate markets, interconnect, but at the same time we must understand that there are problems that do not have a national solution: radioactive clouds, world oil prices, diseases, warming of the planet or the hole in the ozone layer. These are not domestic problems. As we stride toward a new United Nations model that includes all of us when they talk about the people, we are bringing four indispensable and urgent reform proposals to this Assembly: The first; the expansion of the Security Council in its permanent categories as well as the non permanent categories, thus allowing new developed and developing countries as new permanent and non permanent categories. The second; we need to assure the necessary improvement of the work methodology in order to increase transparency, not to diminish it. The third; we need to immediately suppress- we have said this repeatedly in Venezuela for the past six years- the veto in the decisions taken by the Security Council, that elitist trace is incompatible with democracy, incompatible with the principles of equality and democracy. And the fourth; we need to strengthen the role of the Secretary General; his/her political functions regarding preventive diplomacy, that role must be consolidated. The seriousness of all problems calls for deep transformations. Mere reforms are not enough to recover that "we" all the peoples of the world are waiting for. More than just reforms we in Venezuela call for the foundation of a new United Nations, or as the teacher of Simón Bolívar, Simón Rodríguez said: "Either we invent or we err." At the Porto Alegre World Social Forum last January different personalities asked for the United Nations to move outside the United States if the repeated violations to international rule of law continue. Today we know that there were never any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The people of the United States have always been very rigorous in demanding the truth to their leaders; the people of the world demand the same thing. There were never any weapons of mass destruction; however, Iraq was bombed, occupied and it is still occupied. All this happened over the United Nations. That is why we propose this Assembly that the United Nations should leave a country that does not respect the resolutions taken by this same Assembly. Some proposals have pointed out to Jerusalem as an international city as an alternative. The proposal is generous enough to propose an answer to the current conflict affecting Palestine. Nonetheless, it may have some characteristics that could make it very difficult to become a reality. That is why we are bringing a proposal made by Simón Bolívar, the great Liberator of the South, in 1815. Bolívar proposed then the creation of an international city that would host the idea of unity. We believe it is time to think about the creation of an international city with its own sovereignty, with its own strength and morality to represent all nations of the world. Such international city has to balance five centuries of unbalance. The headquarters of the United Nations must be in the South. Ladies and gentlemen, we are facing an unprecedented energy crisis in which an unstoppable increase of energy is perilously reaching record highs, as well as the incapacity of increase oil supply and the perspective of a decline in the proven reserves of fuel worldwide. Oil is starting to become exhausted. For the year 2020 the daily demand for oil will be 120 million barrels. Such demand, even without counting future increments- would consume in 20 years what humanity has used up to now. This means that more carbon dioxide will inevitably be increased, thus warming our planet even more. Hurricane Katrina has been a painful example of the cost of ignoring such realities. The warming of the oceans is the fundamental factor behind the demolishing increase in the strength of the hurricanes we have witnessed in the last years. Let this occasion be an outlet to send our deepest condolences to the people of the United States. Their people are brothers and sisters of all of us in the Americas and the rest of the world. It is unpractical and unethical to sacrifice the human race by appealing in an insane manner the validity of a socioeconomic model that has a galloping destructive capacity. It would be suicidal to spread it and impose it as an infallible remedy for the evils which are caused precisely by them. Not too long ago the President of the United States went to an Organization of American States' meeting to propose Latin America and the Caribbean to increase market-oriented policies, open market policies-that is neoliberalism- when it is precisely the fundamental cause of the great evils and the great tragedies currently suffered by our people. : The neoliberal capitalism, the Washington Consensus. All this has generated is a high degree of misery, inequality and infinite tragedy for all the peoples on his continent. What we need now more than ever Mr. President is a new international order. Let us recall the United Nations General assembly in its sixth extraordinary session period in 1974, 31 years ago, where a new International Economic Order action plan was adopted, as well as the States Economic Rights and Duties Charter by an overwhelming majority, 120 votes for the motion, 6 against and 10 abstentions. This was the period when voting was possible at the United Nations. Now it is impossible to vote. Now they approve documents such as this one which I denounce on behalf of Venezuela as null, void and illegitimate. This document was approved violating the current laws of the United Nations. This document is invalid! This document should be discussed; the Venezuelan government will make it public. We cannot accept an open and shameless dictatorship in the United Nations. These matters should be discussed and that is why I petition my colleagues, heads of states and heads of governments, to discuss it. I just came from a meeting with President Néstor Kirchner and well, I was pulling this document out; this document was handed out five minutes before- and only in English- to our delegation. This document was approved by a dictatorial hammer which I am here denouncing as illegal, null, void and illegitimate. Hear this, Mr. President: if we accept this, we are indeed lost. Let us turn off the lights, close all doors and windows! That would be unbelievable: us accepting a dictatorship here in this hall. Now more than ever- we were saying- we need to retake ideas that were left on the road such as the proposal approved at this Assembly in 1974 regarding a New Economic International Order. Article 2 of that text confirms the right of states to nationalizing the property and natural resources that belonged to foreign investors. It also proposed to create cartels of raw material producers. In the Resolution 3021, May, 1974, the Assembly expressed its will to work with utmost urgency in the creation of a New Economic International Order based on- listen carefully, please- "the equity, sovereign equality, interdependence, common interest and cooperation among all states regardless of their economic and social systems, correcting the inequalities and repairing the injustices among developed and developing countries, thus assuring present and future generations, peace, justice and a social and economic development that grows at a sustainable rate." The main goal of the New Economic International Order was to modify the old economic order conceived at Breton Woods. We the people now claim- this is the case of Venezuela- a new international economic order. But it is also urgent a new international political order. Let us not permit that a few countries try to reinterpret the principles of International Law in order to impose new doctrines such as "pre-emptive warfare." Oh do they threaten us with that pre-emptive war! And what about the "Responsibility to Protect" doctrine? We need to ask ourselves. Who is going to protect us? How are they going to protect us? I believe one of the countries that require protection is precisely the United States. That was shown painfully with the tragedy caused by Hurricane Katrina; they do not have a government that protects them from the announced nature disasters, if we are going to talk about protecting each other; these are very dangerous concepts that shape imperialism, interventionism as they try to legalize the violation of the national sovereignty. The full respect towards the principles of International Law and the United Nations Charter must be, Mr. President, the keystone for international relations in today's world and the base for the new order we are currently proposing. It is urgent to fight, in an efficient manner, international terrorism. Nonetheless, we must not use it as an excuse to launch unjustified military aggressions which violate international law. Such has been the doctrine following September 11. Only a true and close cooperation and the end of the double discourse that some countries of the North apply regarding terrorism, could end this terrible calamity. In just seven years of Bolivarian Revolution, the people of Venezuela can claim important social and economic advances. One million four hundred and six thousand Venezuelans learned to read and write. We are 25 million total. And the country will-in a few days- be declared illiteracy-free territory. And three million Venezuelans, who had always been excluded because of poverty, are now part of primary, secondary and higher studies. Seventeen million Venezuelans-almost 70% of the population- are receiving, and for the first time, universal healthcare, including the medicine, and in a few years, all Venezuelans will have free access to an excellent healthcare service. More that a million seven hundred tons of food are channeled to over 12 million people at subsidized prices, almost half the population. One million gets them completely free, as they are in a transition period. More than 700 thousand new jobs have been created, thus reducing unemployment by 9 points. All of this amid internal and external aggressions, including a coup d'etat and an oil industry shutdown organized by Washington. Regardless of the conspiracies, the lies spread by powerful media outlets, and the permanent threat of the empire and its allies, they even call for the assassination of a president. The only country where a person is able to call for the assassination of a head of state is the United States. Such was the case of a Reverend called Pat Robertson, very close to the White House: He called for my assassination and he is a free person. That is international terrorism! We will fight for Venezuela, for Latin American integration and the world. We reaffirm our infinite faith in humankind. We are thirsty for peace and justice in order to survive as species. Simón Bolívar, founding father of our country and guide of our revolution swore to never allow his hands to be idle or his soul to rest until he had broken the shackles which bound us to the empire. Now is the time to not allow our hands to be idle or our souls to rest until we save humanity. Translated by Néstor Sánchez Reprinted from: www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=46000 September 17, 2005 News Posted: Saturday, September 17, 2005 ¤ President Chavez's Speech to the United Nations ¤ Transcript: Hugo Chavez Interview ¤ Venezuela Dismisses U.S. Drug Control Decertification ¤ China will soon be world's biggest exporter ¤ Fury over Musharraf's 'cry rape, get rich' claim ¤ Gaza Withdrawal Is Not Enough ¤ Levee Town ¤ One Big Sham ¤ Wake Up White America! ¤ From Victims to Vandals ¤ The Politics of Withdrawal from Iraq ¤ The White Washing of American History ¤ They Shoot News Anchors, Don’t They? ¤ Katrina Relief: It's Iraq Deja vu All Over Again ¤ Many Iraqis believe ’suicide’ bombings done by US to start a civil war ¤ Hitchens vs Galloway: The big debate ¤ Solar Minimum Explodes ¤ A Diebold Insider Speaks! ¤ Doctor says FEMA ordered him to stop treating hurricane victims ¤ Bodies, Tagged and Bagged ¤ Next Stop: Syria ¤ Syria: A New Iraq in the Making ¤ Katrina Shakes Global Faith in U.S. ¤ Money Earmarked for Evacuation Redirected ¤ Afghan Elections May Be Less Than Free ¤ The mother of all storms ¤ Don't ditch Iran ¤ 'Disney on parade' ¤ Katrina puts us—and the press—in a different place ¤ Son of Florida Gov. Bush Arrested Chavez Takes Bush to Task Over Iraq War Posted: Friday, September 16, 2005 Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez took President Bush to task in front of a global summit for waging war in Iraq without U.N. consent and won rousing applause for his critique. Full Article : guardian.co.uk A Reality Check on Bush's Speech to the UN World Summit Posted: Friday, September 16, 2005 On September 14, George W. Bush addressed a gathering of over 170 world leaders at the UN World Summit. His speech came in the wake of international outrage against the US for its attempts to derail the Summit's original purpose, which was to make progress on reducing global poverty. Given the disconnect between the President's words and deeds, we offer the following MADRE reality check on some of Bush's more egregious comments at the World Summit. Full Article : commondreams.org Hugo Chavez: United States a terrorist state Posted: Friday, September 16, 2005 Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez called the United States a "terrorist state" and said the United Nations headquarters should be moved away from New York. The outspoken Chavez littered his speech to the UN world summit with anti-US comments which were strongly applauded. The ally of Cuba's President Fidel Castro followed this up with a press conference at which he accused the US administration of supporting terrorism. Full Article : kavkazcenter.com September 16, 2005 News Posted: Friday, September 16, 2005 ¤ America Has Fallen to a Jacobin Coup ¤ Chavez Takes Bush to Task Over Iraq War ¤ People with blood-soaked hands. ¤ Zarqawi is dead, claims Baghdad imam ¤ Why black kids fail at school ¤ US & UK Owe Africa $Trillions ¤ 'A Miserable Performance,' Mbeki Scolds UN Summit ¤ Hypocrisy in U.S. anti-terrorism laws ¤ Venezuela's Quiet Housing Revolution: Urban Land Reform ¤ Defiant Mugabe denounces 'coalition of evil' ¤ Katrina oil spills may be among worst on record ¤ The petulant president ¤ Meanwhile, in Iraq ¤ 21 killed as Iraq violence flares again ¤ 'Who said there is no civil war? ¤ Venezuela's Chavez wants UN out of United States ¤ Race, Katrina and the Media ¤ No Understanding of the Poor or Racism ¤ Baked Brownie ¤ Real Reports of Katrina Relief ¤ The Historical St. George: Patron Saint of Defense Contractors ¤ Sliding into civil war ¤ Cruising for a bruising ¤ A Reality Check on Bush's Speech to the UN World Summit ¤ Bush Late by Hundreds of Lives ¤ He Still Doesn't Get It ¤ Katrina: Wake Up Call on Oil ¤ Norway election winner says will pull out of Iraq ¤ The War in Iraq Costs ¤ Venezuela and China advance in strategic economic alliance ¤ Hugo Chavez: United States a terrorist state September 15, 2005 News Posted: Thursday, September 15, 2005 ¤ A Ukrainian orange ¤ Reuters Says Bush Photo Not 'Malicious,' Reports Wide Interest ¤ He needs permission??? ¤ Ignorance and Abdication That Amounts to Madness ¤ Swept Away in Iraq ¤ Frances Newton Died for Bush's Sins ¤ Brown Out ¤ Fake Al Qaeda ¤ Power crews diverted restoring pipeline came first ¤ West Bank barrier legal, Israeli court finds ¤ You're an Assho** ¤ The Enablers ¤ Chavez foes to get more US funds ¤ Iraq bombings and shootings leave 150 dead ¤ At least 28 killed in new Baghdad attacks ¤ Blair frustrated as UN fails to agree on anti-terror action ¤ Politicians are voted the world's least trusted people ¤ U.S. Deploys Slide Show to Press Case Against Iran ¤ US steps up pressure to isolate Iran ¥ Priority to War never to their poor ¤ Iraq slams U.S. detentions, immunity for troops ¤ Why This Soldier Can't Support This War ¤ The Gift That Keeps On Taking ¤ At U.N., Bush Links War on Terrorism to Anti-Poverty Efforts ¤ 'This is ten times worse than under Saddam' ¤ Convention Center Left a Five-Day Legacy of Chaos and Violence ¤ Friendship with Iran threatens India's ties to U.S. ¤ The Baghdad-New Orleans Double Feature ¤ First Torture Them, Then Rig Their Trials Venezuela's Quiet Housing Revolution: Urban Land Reform Posted: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 By Gregory Wilpert – Venezuelanalysis.com "Uh-Ah-Chavez no se va!" chanted the red-dressed crowd to the catchy beat of the band "Madera." It was just like August 2004 all over again. Was this perhaps an event to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the defeat of the presidential recall referendum that was held almost exactly one year ago? No, this was something far more important. It was the celebration of the handing out of over 10,000 land titles to families living in Venezuela's poorest urban neighborhoods, in the barrios. Flying below the radar of most Venezuela observers, both pro- and anti-Chavez, Venezuela is undergoing a quiet revolution, in which urban land reform promises to dramatically improve the lives of millions of Venezuela's poor. The urban land reform is functioning as a catalyst for the mobilization of Venezuela's barrios, following the fizzling out of the Bolivarian Circles and the Electoral Battle Units (UBEs). It is a mobilization that is independent of the government, but was jump-started by the government's decision to issue land titles. It has led to the mobilization of over 5,000 land committees, representing a total population of more than 5 million Venezuelans, or 20% of the population. This makes the urban land committees Venezuela's largest organized social movement. The event, which was held last August 30th in one of Caracas' main arenas, resembled a rally in the closing phase of the August 2004 recall referendum campaign. Participants had come from 22 out of Venezuela's 23 states, representing 4,298 land committees, and were obviously fired up to see Chavez symbolically turn over grants for 14 land committee projects. Altogether, the land committees have submitted 1,200 grant applications for about $50 million of funds. "This event is very important," said President Chavez to the roaring crowd. "Here is evidence for something that is fundamental for any revolution and in this case for our Bolivarian Revolution: grassroots organization, grassroots participation," he added. Urban Land Reform and the Housing Crisis The Urban Land Committees (CTU - Comités de Tierras Urbanas) were called into life with presidential decree 1,666 on February 4, 2002. That is not to say that the President created the committees by decree, but rather that the decree established the legal parameters for the creation of such committees. The decree specified that Venezuelans who live in self-built homes on occupied land, which is the case for nearly all of Venezuela's poor, can appeal to the government for title to the land. It is estimated that up to 60% of Venezuela's population of 26 million live in such communities or barrios as they are known in Venezuela. The main mechanism for acquiring title to the land, which some have occupied for decades, are the land committees, where 100 to 200 families that live in a contiguous area elect about seven individuals to represent their community (the average size is 147 families). The committees then register with the National Technical Office for the Regularization of Urban Land Tenancy. The technical office then provides the committees with training and help to measure out the families' plots of land and to initiate the process of acquiring title to the land. In some cases, land committees have requested collective land titles. The land committees, however, have evolved to do much more than just measure land and process title claims. The technical office encourages them to write a "barrio charter," which lays out the history of that particular barrio and the community's rules and principles. In addition, land committees have begun to form sub-committees that deal with public utility companies, such as water and electricity supply, sewage and garbage disposal, the organization of cultural events, the management of security concerns, the initiation of neighborhood improvement projects, and other issues. Most importantly, though, the CTUs empower communities in an unprecedented way, giving them a real sense of ownership over their habitat. As of mid 2005, the National Technical Office has issued over 84,000 titles to 126,000 families, benefiting about 630,000 barrio inhabitants. With a total estimated barrio population of around 10 million, the project still has a ways to go. Once most barrio inhabitants (not all can receive titles because many homes are on unstable ground or have competing ownership claims) have received titles, though, this will be one of the government's greatest impact programs, aside from public health and public education. This would be a far greater impact than the public housing project could ever hope to have. As a matter of fact, barrio inhabitants, who generally build their own homes on occupied land, have built more homes than all government have built in Venezuela's post-1958 era. Land committee organizers thus feel that it is high time that this labor and this contribution to Venezuelan society is recognized and legalized. For them, the land titles are the recognition of a social debt that society owes barrio inhabitants. The project, according to one of its brochures, hopes to, "develop, with the participation and activity of the Urban Land Committees, a process of complete barrio transformation and the democratization of the city." The project's legitimacy comes from the constitution, which states that all Venezuelans have a right to a home that is, "adequate, safe, comfortable, hygienic, and supplied with basic essential services…" (Article 82). Since the government cannot guarantee this right on its own, via its public housing projects, it is up to Venezuelans themselves to claim this right. The urgency for the land committees to act is particularly great in light of the Chavez government's general failure to construct public housing. According to the human rights group PROVEA, the annual average number of homes constructed during the first four years of the Chavez presidency (1999-2003) was 34,228, compared to 37,018 for the second Perez government (1989-1993) and 33,754 during the second Caldera government (1994-1998). The figures for 2004 were no better and for 2005 look like they will be only slightly higher. Considering that housing experts estimate that Venezuela needs a minimum of 135,000 new homes per year and that there is an accumulated deficit of nearly one million homes, and that the private home building sector constructed even less than the public sector, Venezuela is facing a severe housing crisis. It thus appears that the only way out of this housing crisis is to help Venezuelans to help themselves as far as their housing is concerned. Urban Land Committees Lobby to go Beyond Land Title Regularization In late November 2004, 820 delegates of the CTUs, in the presence of government representatives agreed on a proposal to the Housing Ministry, according to which CTUs would be more actively involved in solving Venezuela's housing crisis. According to the proposal, CTUs would form a new organizational neighborhood entity known as CPTH, which stands for Participation Centers for the Transformation of Habitat. CPTHs would consist of 5-10 adjacent CTUs (1,000 to 2,000 families or 5,000 to 10,000 individuals), as well as neighborhood associations, health committees (which work with Mission Barrio Adentro), and Technical Water Committees (which work with the water company), among others. The CPTHs' main objective is to function as a partner for the government in the improvement of neighborhoods. That is, they are supposed to "promote, develop, and strengthen in a sustainable way the active participation of all members of the community in the processes of co-responsible self-management and management with the state for the complete and permanent transformation of habitat, as well as in the creation of new settlements." (Brochure on Democratización de la Ciudad y Transformación Urbana) In effect, the CPTHs would be the new primary organizational unit for the diagnosis of what communities need, to plan projects, to implement training programs on community participation, to develop and strengthen the community's capacity for holding local government accountable, among many other things. The Housing Ministry and the various governmental bodies for funding projects thus have a primary partner for disbursing funds, which is exactly where the funds during the August 30th event were given. More important, though, for solving Venezuela's housing crisis, is a new proposal that has yet to be approved, which is to create new settlements. That is, the CPTHs are proposing to the government to aid in controlled land invasions. When a community realizes that it is running out of space in its neighborhood, it would have the local CPTH ask the Housing Ministry for land that families could settle in an organized manner, to build their own homes on this new land, with government support. Such new settlements would be called "pioneer camps." According to the Director of the National Technical Office, Ivan Martinez, the goal is to have communities build 20,000 homes in the second half of 2005 - a figure that would easily rival that of recent governmentally constructed homes. Significance of the Urban Land Reform The urban land reform process is perhaps the single most important manifestation of participatory democracy in Venezuela today. There are other manifestations, such as the Local Public Planning Councils (CLPPs). However, while these appeared to be a very important manifestation of participatory democracy in Venezuela's constitution, they seem to have fallen by the wayside due to an inadequate law and the sabotage by low-level elected representatives who try to protect their turf. Another manifestation is the possibility for holding referenda, which citizens can organize and which saw its most important enactment during the presidential recall referendum. While many other types of referenda are possible, no other use of this mechanism has been made since the constitution was first passed in December 1999. Next, there are the possibilities for social comptrol (contraloria social) or citizen oversight over all levels of government. This tool has proven to be quite valuable in many cases, especially for making local government more transparent and accountable. However, since the CLPPs are not functioning properly, there are few community organizations that have the capacity to take advantage of the opportunities for citizen oversight. Finally, as mentioned earlier, the organizations that Chavez called into being, the Bolivarian Circles and the Electoral Battle Units (UBEs) also appear to have failed in the longer term. That is, the Bolivarian Circles served a purpose when they were first formed, in mobilizing Chavistas for demonstrations and in creating a visible pro-Chavez presence in communities during the height of the confrontation from shortly before the coup until shortly after the oil industry shutdown. Similarly, the UBEs served a purpose in mobilizing and organizing people in support of Chavez against the recall referendum and for the October 2004 regional elections. When Chavez transformed their mission into community self-improvement groups, though, they faltered and disappeared, just as the Bolivarian Circles. In all likelihood, a large part of the reason for why the Bolivarian Circles and the UBEs dissolved is that both had contradictory purposes. That is, on the one hand they were partisan pro-Chavez groups, mobilizing the population in support of Chavez. On the other hand, they were also supposed to be (in the case of the circles) or to become (in the case of the UBEs) community self-improvement groups working in everyone's interest, whether pro-Chavez or anti-Chavez. However, the groups' two missions contradict each other: they cannot be both non-partisan community self-improvement groups and partisan mobilization groups. Also, their community self-improvement aspect lacked a clear focus for maintaining people's interest. Into this organizational void (not really a void, as the CTU began around the same time as the Bolivarian Circles) stepped the Urban Land Committees. Other task-specific groups emerged as well, such as the Technical Water Committees, which work on improving water supply, health committees, which work on supporting the community health mission Barrio Adentro, and other mission-specific community groups, such as those that support the high school completion mission Ribas and the free food allocation centers (Casas de Alimentación). The participants in these groups were to a large extent recruited from Bolivarian Circles and UBEs. Key to their long-term success, though, is that these groups are non-partisan and pluralistic, so that anti-Chavistas and Chavistas can work side-by-side, getting their immediate tasks done, relatively free of the political polarization that has gripped Venezuela in the past few years. In effect, these task-specific committees, with the CTUs leading the way, have come to occupy a space between non-governmental organizations and governmental organizations, between partisan politics and non-partisan project work. As such, the CTUs and the mission-related committees have become the most important example of participatory democracy in Venezuela today. The government did not create them, but it enabled their creation by opening the government up to their emergence and their input. Perhaps this can be a model for reforming the Venezuelan state as a whole and other states as well. Reprinted from: www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1551 September 14, 2005 News Posted: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 ¤ Syria: U.S. searching for scapegoat for Iraq failures ¤ Woman convicted in her family's death put to death in Hunstville ¤ Frances Newton executed in Huntsville ¤ 12 Explosions in Iraq Kill at Least 152 ¤ Scores die in multiple Iraq explosions ¤ The reconstruction of New Oraq ¤ A Fatal Incuriosity ¤ The News Media Are Knocking Bush -- and Propping Him Up ¤ Flash! Bush Takes Responsiblity...Sort of ¤ Chavez says US meddling in UN visit, denies visas ¤ Poor nations lose in watered-down UN document ¤ Suicide Bomber, Gunmen Kill 105 in Iraq ¤ Chavez Extends Oil Trade Deal to Caribbean ¤ Deadline long passed, Iraqis still wrangle over constitution ¤ Baghdad Traffic Jam ¤ The Unraveling of the US Military ¤ Baghdad Green Zone shelled ¤ Details of the kidnapping of former Guantanamo inmates ¤ Bush takes full responsiblity for Katrina blunders ¥ This is easier than allowing further scrutiny of FEMA and Michael Brown ¤ "Jeb!" and the Politicization of FEMA ¤ Addicted to the poison of occupation ¤ Katrina Fragments ¤ Bush Talks About War, Iran, North Korea and Restructuring U.N. ¤ Suspicion of US stalls UN summit ¤ Bush backs Iran's right to nuclear power ¤ FEMA Convoy Gets Ice to Cities Not in Need September 13, 2005 News Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 ¤ Who Murdered Arafat? ¤ Compassion for the Camera ¤ Welcome to the 21st Century ¤ How the Other Half Lived ¤ Norwegian PM announces resignation ¤ British soldiers 'beat Iraqi taxi driver' ¤ Death Toll in Louisiana Climbs Past 400 ¤ As Bodies Recovered, Reporters are Told 'No Photos, No Stories' ¤ Finally Fooling None of the People ¤ A Drive-by Presidency ¤ Let U.N. Reform Fail ¤ Halliburton takes lead in Katrina reconstruction ¤ Abusing America's Fear of Terrorism ¤ Why The High Gas Prices? ¤ Zero Tolerance ¤ Brownie-ism Is the Problem ¤ Winners and Losers: The Usual Suspects ¤ Katrina knocks power out of Bush spin machine ¤ 'Worst threats to America aren't foreign' ¤ Petrol panic begins to spread as oil prices rise ¤ New FEMA boss is 'Duct Tape Man' ¤ Building a case, any case, against Iran ¤ Iraq, not Katrina, may be an Achilles heel for Bush ¤ Guantanamo hunger strike spreads ¤ Iraqi police say four Americans killed near Basra 'Racist' police blocked bridge and forced evacuees back Posted: Monday, September 12, 2005 'Racist' police blocked bridge and forced evacuees back at gunpoint A Louisiana police chief has admitted that he ordered his officers to block a bridge over the Mississippi river and force escaping evacuees back into the chaos and danger of New Orleans. Witnesses said the officers fired their guns above the heads of the terrified people to drive them back and "protect" their own suburbs. Two paramedics who were attending a conference in the city and then stayed to help those affected by the hurricane, said the officers told them they did not want their community "becoming another New Orleans". Full Article : news.independent.co.uk September 12, 2005 News Posted: Monday, September 12, 2005 ¤ How Michael Brown Helped Bush Win Florida ¤ US emergency chief quits ¤ Baghdad Car Bombing Kills 1, Injures 17 ¤ Let Them Eat Toxins ¤ Power Grab in New Orleans ¤ U.S. Leads the World in Sale of Military Goods ¤ Not 'Refugees,' but Americans ¤ Hurricane Halliburton ¤ Tape just a stunt, says expert ¤ 'Levees made of lies ¤ Koizumi holds all the cards ¤ Bodies Found at New Orleans Hospital ¤ Palestinian shot at Gaza-Egypt crossing ¤ Power outage in Southern California affects wide area ¤ Self-Fulfilling Prophecies ¤ Iraqis To Bush - Where Did All Our Money Go? ¤ We had to kill our patients ¤ New Orleans Unmasks “Apartheid, American Style” ¤ Violence, chaos at New Orleans jail after guards fled from Katrina ¤ Mercenaries guard homes of the rich in New Orleans ¤ G8 money for Africa goes to Iraq ¤ Sorry Mr President, Katrina is not 9/11 ¤ Mercenaries guard homes of the rich in New Orleans ¤ How America rides the storms ¤ Bush Supporters Question Iraq War Tactics ¤ The Iran trap ¤ The Mosquito and the Hammer ¤ 'Big loop' of red tape frustrates evacuees ¤ Forgotten Genocide... ¤ At 9/11 Walks, Remembrances Stream Forth ¤ Pentagon march 'a stunt' ¤ America Is Bankrupt ¤ Israeli pullout from small area not enough: Assiri ¤ Koizumi Wins Japan Election by Landslide September 11, 2005 News Posted: Sunday, September 11, 2005 ¤ 'George W. Bush has presided over three national debacles ¤ Retail Gas Prices Hit All-Time Highs ¤ 9/11 and Manipulation of the USA ¤ Katrina Blew Away Gloss of Business as Usual on TV ¤ Stupid Quotes About Hurricane Katrina ¤ Exiles from a city and from a nation ¤ Death toll from Hurricane Katrina swells ¤ A dead nemesis perpetuated by the US government ¤ 9/11 - The Basic Questions ¤ Bush wife doesn't know name of hurricane ¤ Body recovery is beset by difficulties ¤ On patrol in New Orleans neighborhoods, troops see only corpses ¥ Why then is the U.S Government trying to sell that the ¤ Katrina death toll could be lower than feared ¤ FEMA Attempts Media Black Out in New Orleans ¤ Is the Government Trying to Stem the Tide of Images From New Orleans ¤ Falsehoods, distortions masking Bush Katrina failures ¤ Police forcibly tackling elderly ¤ People sense president's soulless sensibility ¤ Fake terror ¤ A Letter to All Who Voted for George W. Bush ¤ Overkill: Feared Blackwater Mercenaries Deploy in New Orleans ¤ Nothing to Refer ¤ 'Racist' police blocked bridge and forced evacuees back at gunpoint ¤ Diseases of rich deprive poor of drugs ¤ Koizumi set for strong win in Japan poll ¤ Beleaguered Bush tries to evoke spirit of 9/11 ¤ Cover-up: toxic waters 'will make New Orleans unsafe for a decade' ¤ How the flood compromises U.S. foreign policy September 10, 2005 News Posted: Saturday, September 10, 2005 ¤ Soldiers Try to Kill Afghan Minister ¤ Troops seize British-owned cattle ranch in Venezuela ¤ The new Ground Zero ¤ Security Contractors in Iraq Under Scrutiny After Shootings ¤ Flood survivors cuffed as evacuation begins ¤ 'Orange princess' defects to Ukrainian opposition ¤ Venezuela Challenges US On Anti-Drugs Program ¤ How the US Supplied Iran with Nuclear Know-How ¤ U.S. wants Iran on U.N. front burner ¤ Iran shrugs off UN threat ¤ Iran nuclear weapons 'years away' ¤ No Proof Found of Iran Arms Program ¤ Iran Is Judged 10 Years From Nuclear Bomb ¤ Afro-Americans, oil is more valuable than you! ¤ Where’s Osama? ¤ Anti-Terror Strategy in Doubt on 9/11 Anniversary ¤ Sun Unleashes 5 Major Flares ¤ New Orleans tragedy: The 17th street levee was bombed ¤ US warplane bombs home ¤ Amtrack and Greyhound: Refused Transportation Services ¤ When the Press Comes Marching In ¤ Army Kept Truth of GI's Death From Family So, What Was So Controversial About Kanye West's Remarks? Posted: Saturday, September 10, 2005 For the life of me, I am trying to figure out what was so controversial in the remarks by rapper Kanye West at the NBC fundraiser for the Katrina disaster victims. He stated that Bush apparently does not care about Black people. He also expressed concern about how Black families that were fighting for survival were compared with White families in the media, i.e., Black families tended to be viewed as looters while Whites were not. Full Article : commondreams.org Power to the victims of New Orleans Posted: Saturday, September 10, 2005 With the poor gone, developers are planning to gentrify the city Naomi Klein Friday September 9, 2005 The Guardian UK On September 4, six days after Katrina hit, I saw the first glimmer of hope. "The people of New Orleans will not go quietly into the night, scattering across this country to become homeless in countless other cities while federal relief funds are funnelled into rebuilding casinos, hotels, chemical plants. We will not stand idly by while this disaster is used as an opportunity to replace our homes with newly built mansions and condos in a gentrified New Orleans." Full Article : guardian.co.uk September 09, 2005 News Posted: Friday, September 9, 2005 ¤ Leaders Lacking Disaster Experience ¤ How Reliable Is Brown's Resume? ¤ Two Bush 2000 Florida recount aides were rewarded with top FEMA posts ¤ Michael Brown's FEMA job interview' ¤ 'Bush 'damage control' can't gloss travesty' ¤ 'George W. Bush still rocks! ¤ I just got back from a FEMA Detainment Camp ¤ Why America can't cope ¤ Leaders Lacking Disaster Experience ¤ How Reliable Is Brown's Resume? ¤ Two Bush 2000 Florida recount aides were rewarded with top FEMA posts ¤ Michael Brown's FEMA job interview' ¤ 'Bush 'damage control' can't gloss travesty' ¤ 'George W. Bush still rocks! ¤ I just got back from a FEMA Detainment Camp ¤ Why America can't cope ¤ The casualties of Katrina ¤ Doctors disagree on death of Arafat ¤ Four Years After 9/11, Anti-Terror Strategy in Doubt ¤ Powell calls pre-Iraq U.N. speech a 'blot' on his record ¤ Court Rules U.S. Can Indefinitely Detain Citizens in Wartime ¤ Bush's response to disaster all too typical ¤ Iraq 100, Louisiana 8 ¤ From New Orleans to Palestine ¤ The Heart of Whiteness ¤ Day 1,461 And Counting ¤ Notes on Bad Weather and Good Government ¤ After 4 years, new 9/11 revelations ¤ Grumblings as some countries left hanging after offering Katrina aid ¤ Iran takes over Pipelineistan ¤ Noah Seeks Out Bush ¤ Foul-Ups ¤ Military Occupation in America ¤ Leaders Lacking Disaster Experience ¤ Not Just a Bunch of Morons -- Outright Liars, Too ¤ So, What Was So Controversial About Kanye West’s Remarks? ¤ Bombed Levees and Bleeding Hearts ¤ Katrina Head-scratchers ¤ Hiding Bodies Won't Hide the Truth ¤ Eight Big Lies About Katrina ¤ Bush To Lead Investigation of Bush ¤ Bush's Staged New Orleans Photo Ops ¤ Heavy Spin Control Continues ¤ Walkout over 'terrorist UK' speech ¤ Blame Game, Race Card ¤ Disaster chief taken off Katrina job September 08, 2005 News Posted: Thursday, September 8, 2005 ¤ more than 100 died in a warehouse, waiting for rescue ¤ FEMA Packed With Presidents Pals ¤ Hurricane Victims Get a Taste of Life in Occupied Iraq ¤ U.S. agency blocks photos of New Orleans dead ¤ The UN in Haiti: Part of the problem ¤ Mugabe to visit Cuba ¤ Disaster Price Tag for Katrina Balloons ¤ American Hostage Freed After 10 Months ¤ 14 bodies found as Saddam ”confessions” dismissed by attorney ¤ Navy Pilots Who Rescued Victims Are Reprimanded ¤ Fallujah and New Orleans, new twin towns ¤ Power to the victims of New Orleans ¤ The chasm between us ¤ Big Easy feels like war zone ¤ This is solely the work of US prejudice ¤ Yushchenko dismisses Ukraine cabinet ¤ They lied to us to get us to move' ¤ India's elusive date with Bush ¤ Israeli troops kill Palestinian teenager ¤ Blasts hit KFC, McDonalds in Pakistan ¤ Katrina, Aftermath Galvanize Black America ¤ Memos Show Oil Companies Closed Refineries To Hike Profits ¤ White rich elude Orleans chaos ¤ Cheney Runs Into Trouble With the Locals ¤ just got back from a FEMA Detainment Camp ¤ FEMA's Blocking Relief Efforts - An Amazing List ¤ America the Betrayer ¤ Lessons from Hell ¤ Legacy of Neglect ¤ Caribbean leaders sign oil pact ¤ Katrina 'cover-up' alleged UN Hits Back at US in Report Posted: Thursday, September 8, 2005 UN Hits Back at US in Report Saying Parts of America are as Poor as Third World by Paul Vallely Parts of the United States are as poor as the Third World, according to a shocking United Nations report on global inequality. Claims that the New Orleans floods have laid bare a growing racial and economic divide in the US have, until now, been rejected by the American political establishment as emotional rhetoric. But yesterday's UN report provides statistical proof that for many - well beyond those affected by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina - the great American Dream is an ongoing nightmare. Full Article : commondreams.org September 07, 2005 News Posted: Wednesday, September 7, 2005 ¤ The Man Who Betrayed the Poor ¤ Winds, Yes; Of Change? Not Likely ¤ The Rich and the Dead ¤ Red tape keeping Samaritans from New Orleans ¤ American Hostage Freed After 10 Months ¤ U.S. Unlikely to Accept Cuba's Aid Offer ¤ Castro and Chavez's Offers of Help ¤ The Toxic Timebomb ¤ Agency Blocks Photos of Flood Dead ¤ Bush launches inquiry and puts himself in charge of it ¤ FEMA Chief Waited Until After Storm Hit ¤ 'How the Bush administration let New Orleans die' ¤ 'How Bush will use Katrina' ¤ 25 Killed As Hundreds Of Civilians Are Forced To Flee... ¤ World press: Katrina 'testing US' ¤ Emergency agency called a disaster ¤ At least 4 killed in suicide attack in Afghanistan ¤ Israeli army killed 5 unarmed Palestinians-watchdog The Man Who Betrayed the Poor Posted: Wednesday, September 7, 2005 Even as the G8 promises fall apart, Geldof stays silent by George Monbiot Two months have not elapsed since the G8 summit, and already almost everything has turned to ashes. Even the crustiest sceptics have been shocked by the speed with which its promises have been broken. It is true that they didn't amount to much. The World Development Movement described the agreement as "a disaster for the world's poor."(1) ActionAid complained that "the G8 have completely failed to deliver trade justice."(2) Christian Aid called July 8th as "a sad day for poor people in Africa and all over the world."(3) Oxfam lamented that "neither the necessary sense of urgency nor the historic potential of Gleneagles was grasped by the G8."(4) But one man had a different view. Bob Geldof, who organised the Live8 events, announced that "a great justice has been done. .. On aid, 10 out of 10; on debt, eight out of 10 ... Mission accomplished frankly."(5) Had he not signed off like this, had he not gone on to describe a South African campaigner who had criticised the deal as "a disgrace"(6), Geldof could have walked away from the summit unencumbered by further responsibility. He could have spent the rest of his life on holiday, and no one would have minded. But it was because he gave the G8 his seal of approval, because he told us, in effect, that we could all go home and stop worrying about Africa that he now has a responsibility to speak out. Full Article : zmag.org September 06, 2005 News Posted: Tuesday, September 6, 2005 ¤ Claims of Saddam's Genocide Far from Proven ¤ Murder and rape - fact or fiction? ¤ 'Wash Post' Runs A Key Katrina Correction ¤ The city where the dead are left lying on the streets ¤ Damage exposure will 'wake America up' ¤ Stop Enabling the White House Blame Game ¤ Military occupation turns New Orleans into war zone ¤ From Victims to Insurgents ¤ Criminal Negligence Started at the Top ¤ It's Just Racism at the Bottom ¤ Thank God, There's No One to Bomb in Retaliation ¤ Trapped in New Orleans ¤ Did Katrina Blow Off the White Sheets of American Racism? ¤ Gaza rioting kills 16 ¤ Castro parades doctors ready for Katrina aid ¤ Navy ship nearby underused ¤ Iraq bombings kill 3 U.S. soldiers ¤ Annan: War spread terrorism ¤ 'What do you mean, it's 'like' living in a Third World country? ¤ Bush and Third World America ¤ Why does the US need our money? ¤ US jets hit Iraqi bridges near Syria ¤ Baghdad and New Orleans: the Janus-Face of US World Fascism September 05, 2005 News Posted: Monday, September 5, 2005 ¤ Israel to accelerate West Bank barrier ¤ Construction in settlements to continue ¤ Suicide bomber kills 11 in Iraq ¤ Cable car accident in Austria kills at least nine people ¤ Scientists guilty of 'hyping' benefits of gene research ¤ Fake sympathy and fake relief efforts ¤ Ethnic cleansing in the USA ¤ A flood of words ¤ Receding floodwaters expose the dark side of America ¤ At least 147 dead in Indonesian plane crash ¤ Bush team tries to pin blame on local officials ¤ Flood horrors the US can't hide ¤ It's Looking a Lot Like Fallujah ¤ 80,000 Rodney Kings in New Orleans ¤ An Administration Without Shame ¤ Once Looting was the Pay of Imperial Soldiers ¤ Black faces are indelible image of Katrina ¤ The Media Discover the Poor ¤ Do You Know What it Means to Lose New Orleans? ¤ Insurgents Seize Key Town in Iraq ¤ The Cavalry can't get past FEMA September 04, 2005 News Posted: Sunday, September 4, 2005 ¤ Australia expresses frustration at lack of access to New Orleans ¤ FEMA Outsourced N.O. Disaster Plans To Politcal Cronies/Donors ¤ Why we couldn’t save the people of New Orleans ¤ The Two Americas ¤ FEMA "turned away Police and Doctors" at the stateline ¤ Oops! We forgot the niggers (again)! ¤ The constitution under the occupation is another deception ¤ U.S. response to disaster amazes, disgusts world ¤ Rumsfeld on looting in Iraq: 'Stuff happens' ¤ Why the American dream is one of the biggest lies ¤ U.S. the new Saddam ¤ Poor, Black, and Left Behind ¤ 'Falluja floods the Superdome' ¤ Chavez supporters protest, urge justice against Robertson for comments ¤ Katrina Exposes the "Third World" at Home ¤ Linking Al-Qaeda to Katrina ¤ We Don't Need GM Foods ¤ Drenched in profits: Drenched in blood ¤ Criminal Plot Underway in the New Orleans Swamp ¤ At Least 26 Die in Separate Attacks Across Iraq ¤ Bush 'photo-op' visit slammed ¤ Bush sends marines as flood fury grows ¤ 'They're not giving us what we need to survive' ¤ How long will Louisiana's huddled masses have to wait for shelter? ¤ Flood took disaster agency's experts by surprise ¤ Black fury at Bush over rescue delay ¤ How can the world's richest nation let so many die? ¤ Kidnapped Briton found dead in Afghanistan ¤ Met by Despair, Not Violence ¤ Guardsmen 'played cards' amid New Orleans chaos ¤ Clean-up operation only for Bush? ¤ Bush visit halts food delivery ¤ Race question hangs over disaster ¤ At least 12 killed in apt. fire south of Paris ¤ Chief Justice Rehnquist Dies of Cancer ¤ U.S. Asks EU, NATO for Hurricane Aid ¤ Venezuela to repel US invasion if necessary ¤ An exposé of American society ¤ Katrina bared Bush's 'bamsee' ¤ Pentagon: Too much sympathy for the victims September 03, 2005 News Posted: Saturday, September 3, 2005 ¤ 'George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People ¤ American dream swept away by Katrina’ ¤ 'United States of Shame' ¤ Criticism of Bush mounts as more than 10,000 feared dead ¤ We are on our own ¤ Why did help take so long to arrive? ¤ Bush seen as doing too little, too late ¤ Those Looters Should be Shot ¤ The Real Looters Wear Pinstripes ¤ The U.S. as a "Failed State" ¤ Impeach Bush Now, Before More Die ¤ Rapper accuses Bush of racism ¤ Bodies of missing teachers found in desert ¤ Insurgents Kill 19 Iraqis Near Baqouba ¤ Bush Vacationing while New Orleans drowned ¤ New Orleans Isn’t Anarchy ¤ What's the Difference Between "Looting" and "Finding"? ¤ Across U.S., Outrage at Response ¤ Something is NOT right! ¤ Bush visit to hurricane is nothing but a political photo op ¤ We told you so ¤ World stunned as US struggles with Katrina ¤ Bush Rejects French Offer of Medical Aid, Water Filters ¤ Al-Qaida not behind Afghan terror surge ¤ Iran's Nuclear Ambitions ¤ Fighting 'The Insurgency' in New Orleans ¤ Bush's War Crimes ¤ Defiant message from bomber was filmed on British soil ¤ Al-Qaeda tape 'does not prove' terror network was behind London attacks ¤ Castro offers US medical help ¤ Halliburton hired for storm cleanup ¤ West Paralyzing African Economy: Mkapa The Storm After the Storm Posted: Friday, September 2, 2005 Hurricanes come in two waves. First comes the rainstorm, and then comes what the historian John Barry calls the "human storm" - the recriminations, the political conflict and the battle over compensation. Floods wash away the surface of society, the settled way things have been done. They expose the underlying power structures, the injustices, the patterns of corruption and the unacknowledged inequalities. When you look back over the meteorological turbulence in this nation's history, it's striking how often political turbulence followed. Full Article : nytimes.com US won't let Canada help Katrina victims Airboaters stalled by FEMA What They Should Have Learned from a Hurricane Named Ivan Kanye West: 'George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People.' Kanye West slammed President Bush during NBC's live broadcast of Concert for Hurricane Relief. In an impromptu speech, the Grammy winner informed viewers of the fact that Bush had given National Guardsmen the order to shoot at the residents of New Orleans caught taking provisions out of stores. Full Article : hiphoprnbsoul.com September 02, 2005 News Posted: Friday, September 2, 2005 ¤ Bush under fire over hurricane aid ¤ Nuclear hypocrisy ¤ Feds Ignored Catastrophe Predictions, Diverted Funds ¤ Iraq War Splurge Hits Home at 150 MPH ¤ Why the Levee Broke ¤ FEMA Directing Donations to Pat Robertson ¤ Oh, One More Thing, America... ¤ Bush's belated visit fails to appease his critics ¤ Why has it taken George Bush five days to get to New Orleans? ¤ Hurricane Katrina has demolished this administration's mask of confidence ¤ La. governor warns troops will "shoot and kill" ¤ Piecing together the story of the weapons that weren't ¤ Notes from Inside New Orleans ¤ The Mississippi Unbound ¤ How Bush Deals with a Disaster He Helped Create ¤ Blind to History ¤ Hurricane Katrina toll may top 10,000 ¤ Houston Opens Two More Refugee Centers ¤ Vacation is Over... ¤ Venezuela's cheap oil offer ruffles Bush ¤ Who is in charge of the Response to the Katrina Disaster? ¤ Come and Get me ¤ Katrina Aftermath Raises Questions of Rac ¤ US won't let Canada help Katrina victims ¤ Airboaters stalled by FEMA ¤ Don't Give Your Hurricane Donations to the Red Cross ¤ Shocking delay in aid contrasts with 200 billion wasted in Iraq ¤ Directing Katrina Money to Pat Robertson ¤ Will the "New" New Orleans be Black? ¤ Bush to New Orleans: Drop Dead ¤ The Storm After the Storm ¤ They're Trying to Wash Us Away.... ¤ Why Chavez is in U.S. Crosshairs ¤ Namibia govt grabs 1st farm Hurricane Katrina Exposes Racism And Inequality Posted: Thursday, September 1, 2005 "Affluent white people fled the Big Easy in their SUVs, while the old and car-less--mainly Black--were left behind in their below-sea-level shotgun shacks and aging tenements to face the watery wrath," activist Mike Davis wrote of the evacuation plans for Ivan. "New Orleans had spent decades preparing for inevitable submersion by the storm surge of a class-five hurricane. Civil defense officials conceded they had 10,000 body bags on hand to deal with the worst-case scenario. But no one seemed to have bothered to devise a plan to evacuate the city’s poorest or most infirm residents." Full Article : countercurrents.org No One Can Say they Didn't See it Coming In 2001, FEMA warned that a hurricane striking New Orleans was one of the three most likely disasters in the U.S. But the Bush administration cut New Orleans flood control funding by 44 percent to pay for the Iraq war. Full Article : commondreams.org Venezuela Offers $1M, Oil, Food and Equipment Sources at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington DC, told Venezuelanalysis.com that apart from the million dollars in monetary assistance, Venezuela is offering two mobile hospital units, each capable of assisting 150 people, 120 specialists in rescue operations, 10 water purifying plants, 18 electricity generators of 850 KW each, 20 tons of bottled water, and 50 tons of canned food. According to The Washington Times, a senior State Department official said he was not aware of the Venezuelan offer, but noted that unsolicited offers can be "counterproductive." Full Article : venezuelanalysis.com September 01, 2005 News Posted: Thursday, September 1, 2005 ¤ Example of Racist Media ¤ Black people loot / White folks just do what it takes to survive ¤ The Poor and Hurricane Katrina ¤ The Perfect Storm ¤ Hurrican Donald ¤ After the hurricane ¤ New Orleans is Sinking, But... ¤ Thousands feared lost in US storm ¤ Iraq government unity vanishes after stampede ¤ The Bombing of Nagasaki August 9, 1945 ¤ The Awful Price of Coastal Ruin ¤ No One Can Say they Didn't See it Coming ¤ In Iraq, a Man-Made Disaster ¤ In America, a natural disaster ¤ U.S. backs away from claims that Cuba has bioweapons program ¤ U.S. military will not pull National Guard troops from Iraq to deal with hurricane ¤ Why New Orleans is in Deep Water ¤ Afghanistan surge in violence 'not al-Qaeda's work' ¤ The Defensive Shield of Lies and Deflections ¤ The Flyover Presidency of George W. Bush ¤ Asia the world's top arms importer ¤ Anarchy in New Orleans ¤ Theory: Mad Cow May Have Come From Humans ¤ America's Corrupt Legal System ¤ Iraq’s draft constitution: a recipe for neo-colonial rule |
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